Child&#39;s shoe



P4314130, 1940- v L. J. GOLDEN ET AL 9.338

CHILD S SHOE Filed March 12, 193'? I A JGQZdemdrorwz/ Patented Apr. 30, 1940 .f r s "TENT OFFICE oHILn's SHOE Louis J. Golden, "Highland 'Park, and-"Philip Aronov, Chicago; Ill'.,

assignors to B and B 'Shoe Company, Chicago, Ill.,-.-a corporation of Illinois fms catnnrmh 12,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a shoe and methodof makingthe same and moreparticularly to a shoe adapted for wear by small children and infants. It is an object of this invention to provide an.

' infants shoe of the blucher type which is generally symmetrically constructed at the front and hasan upper formed from a single, integral blank.

-rinother object of this invention is to provide a shoe in which little or no loss of material occurs during the: formingoperation and in which the extent of seaming required as well as the labor I and expense of fabricating are reduced-to a minimum. I v t t A further objector this invention is to provide ashoeanda method of manufacture therefor in which the number of pattern parts is greatly reduced with a resultant decrease in the number of operations necessary to form the final shoe.

Yet a further objectof this invention is toprovide a shoe which is relatively seamless'and which omits seams at the rear and other points where seaming isparticularly objectionable and conducive to discomfort or objectionable appear'ance.

Other objects of this invention are to provide a blucher type shoe having a one-piece upper with a tongue afilxed thereto; to provide a shoe Where in the manufacture of the'upper blank involvesno cut-out wasted portions; tolprovide an infants shoe having substantially only one seam to malntairi the "uppe'r'in assembled relationship and to provide a shoe having a smooth, solid sack p 1;

ti'on together with the absence of any'multiple seams such as would result in hardened areas.

Numerous other objects and advantages will more fully appear during the course and progress of the following specification.

Figure l is a perspective View of the infant shoe made in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail perspective view of the front part of the shoe shown in Figure 1, showing the lace in operative position.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of'the shoefrom the left side, portions being broken away to show the manner of seaming.

Figure 4: is a plan View of the blanks or-patterns employed in manufacturing thepresent shoe.

The shoe shown for purposes of illustration, is designed to fit the left foot. It will be obvious that the other member of the pair will be constructed with the various portions thereof oppositely arranged. r

The shoe comprises a sole portion It to which is sewed, or otherwise secured, an upper l2 having a toe covering o'r vamp port-ion l l, left and right 1937, serial No. 130,448

counterportions It and I8 respectively, and a top portion 29. These areas are integrally joined to formthe upper. The tongue 22 is a separate piece stitched thereto along the lines 24.

The single, integral upper may, be cut from a single, fiat piece of leather or the like in the form' of a somewhat L-shaped pattern (see Figure 4);: The curved front portion l2 corresponds to the vamp portion in the final shoe and has a somewhat parabolic forward edge. An integral rearward extension l6 provides the lefthand side of the shoe, the left and right counter-portions and the top 20. The curved rearward edge 26 of the front portion I2 is extended inwardly in the blank as a slit 28 which in turn terminates in two slits 33 forming the blucher portion of the vamp and the line of juncture along which the tongue is seemed to the vamp. v

f The rearmost edge 32 is cut in acurve similar to that of the edge 26 so that, when the upper is assembled position, the edges 26 and 32lwill overlap and may be sewed together'to form a seam 3 1 adjacent the instep portion of the shoe. The" edge 36, on the other hand, is cut in a curve to;

correspond to the curve on the'opposite edge of the top formed by the slit 28.

These edges 28 and 36 are preferably pierced to the vamp along the curved edges 24 formed by' the slits 30. It will be evident that the edge 36 will form the righthand or inner forward edge of the top portion of the shoe which will normally lie generally parallel to the opposite forward side edge it formed in the original blank by the slit 28.

The upper is stitched or secured to the sole piece ill in any conventional manner. Atany suitable time during manufacture, the apertures 38 may be formed and a lace 42 inserted therein to provide means for lacing the shoe in position with respect ,tothe foot.

In the preferred embodiment the lowermost apertures 38 are situated more or less exactly in the position shown in the figures for, when thus positioned, it will be apparent that, the forward edge of the seam 34 will be at all times completely covered and concealed by the lace. The remainder of the seam 34 is effectively situated adjacent the hollow or under-portion of the instep. While the invention comprehends the positioning of this seam Within wide limits, nevertheless, when arranged according to the preferred embodiment, the shoe appears to be seamless, in view of the fact that its only side seam is unobtrusively placed and concealed with tend substantially vertically upwardly.

accrue.

only a portion normally visible.

The present invention provides a method of shoe manufacture in which little or no waste of material is necessary since the patterns demand no inner cut-outs, nor cut-away portions interiorly of their periphery. The pattern of the upper being somewhat L-shaped, the section of material formed by the hollow portion or notch in the L serves admirably as a source of the tongue 22. The arrangement of the parts in Figure 4 clearly illustrates the manner in which the two blanks may be cut from a single, relatively small piece of material with very little waste.

The present shoe is characterized by an absolute minimum of seams around the outside of the upper portion. From this several advantages In the first place, overlapping seams are known to provide hardened areas which are conduce to a chafing or other harmful action upon the foot, particularly in the case of small infants. In the present shoe such seams are studiously eliminated over most portions of the foot including the entire front area, the sensitive bal section and the entire top. In addition, the back portion of the shoe is of the solid type, i. e., completely devoid of overlapping seams. The

particular positioning of the only seam 34 is overlap to form a seam resulting in increased hardness and brittleness of the leather with a tendency to act like sole leather and to harm the tender foot. In the preferred embodiment according to the present invention, all triple H overlapping seams are omitted.

It should be particularly noted that the curved edges 26 and 32 do not possess an identical degree of curvature. In other words, as is obvious from carefully comparing the curves of these edges shown in Fig. 4, each curve is arranged in a line having a varying degree of curvature, with the curve 26 having the greater degree of curvature. On the other hand, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, these edges, when overlapped to form the instep seam 34, are overlapped an equal distance throughout their length. This is of great significance since it confers upon the rear or heel portion of the shoe a special formation adapted to conform to the heel portion of an infants foot. Thus when the non-complementary curved edges are overlapped and sewn together a slight pulling forward of the top portion of the rear of the quarter is effected and this confers a relative additional fullness upon the lower portion of the quarter at the rear thereof. It will be readily understood from the foregoing that if this procedure were not observed the heel portion would not possess this additional fullness but that the rear portion of the shoe would ex- In other words, the shoe would not conform to the relatively slim part of the ankle and the lower bulged portion of the heel. It is, therefore, evident that this construction confers a shape and form highly desirable but hitherto lacking in a one-piece upper construction.

It should further be noted that the configuration of the top edges of the upper in the region of the ankle vary in elevation. Thus in the finished shoe these top edges reach their highest elevation above the sole, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, at three points, which points are located at the rearmost point of the edge and at the two points forming the upper extremities of the forward side edges. The top edge of the shoe gradually inclines downwardly to points adjacent the sides of the ankle. It will be obvious from the foregoing that the present construction obviates the tendency of the straight edge to dig into the bony portion of the ankle when the shoe is tightened. Thus an inordinate tension cannot be applied to the top edge of the shoe by lacing since the depressed portions interfere with the continuous application of stress at this point. It has been found, therefore, that this type of structure provides a shoe which will not chafe or irritate the foot at its upper edges.

It will be likewise apparent that the present invention provides a pattern which is better adapted to the manufacture of relatively high shoes. As is apparent in Figure 4 there is lenty of available material with which to extend the upper edge of the top portion 20 as high as may be desired, at least until the blank loses its generally L-shaped configuration. Conventional blanks in which minimization of the number of parts is attempted, usually are characterized by limitations upon the height of the shoe since opposed areas cannot be expanded without limit due to mutual encroachment.

The present invention provides a blucher shoe which is exceedingly simple to cut out and assemble and which possesses great value and utility. While, according to the preferred embodiment, a seam is disclosed adjacent the hollow of the instep, nevertheless the pattern and its assembly may be varied considerably. In other words, the seam 34 may be positioned rearwardly or forwardly as desired and material may be cut away at various places in order to achieve various effects in appearance and form.

By the term hollow of the instep, as employed in the specification and claims, is meant that portion of the foot conventionally so termed and extending normally below and centrally of the foot buton the inner side thereof. In other words, assuming the instep portion of the foot to comprise that portion between the ball of the foot and the ankle, the hollow of the instep will comprise the portion on the inner side of the foot below the instep and extending from the middle portion of the adjacent side edge of the conventional sole but substantially to the top of the instep portion. So also, in accordance with the present invention there is defined a blank, as well as a shoe made from a blank, in which the substantially complete upper is in generally L shaped form. It will be noted that this L-shaped blank has a lower portion corresponding to the base of the letter L and a second portion extending upwardly from one side thereof. By the term enclosed area of this L-shaped blank is meant the space or area which is opposite the two portions of the L. It is this portion from which the tongue blank may be taken, as clearly indicated in Figure 4.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is obvious with respect to the foot, and an upwardly exthat numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages, the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. In a shoe, an upper comprising integral vamp, counters and opposite side portions having opposed forward edges extending upwardly along the instep, laces adjacent said edges andengaging therewith and forming releasable means for securing said shoe in position with respect to the foot, and an upwardly extending seam extending across the hollow formed by the under side of the instep from a point adjacent the sole and terminating at the inner one of said opposed edges and at its latter portion being positioned under said laces whereby to make said seam inconspicuous, whereby, when the shoe is in position on the foot, the seam is substantially throughout its entire extent inconspicuous by being arranged on the inner and lower portions of the footv and by its upper end being arranged under the laces, said seam comprising overlapping, curved, generally co-extensive edges of said upper, one of said edges being formed in a line of increased curvature and said edges being overlapped an equal distance substantially throughout the length of the seam to provide a bulge adjacent the heel portion for receiving the heel portion.

2. In an infants shoe comprising an upper having integral vamp, counters and opposite side portions with opposed forward edges extending upwardly along the instep, laces adjacent said leasable means for securing said shoe in position tending seam extending across the hollow formed by the under side of the instep from a point adjacent the sole and terminating at the inner one of said opposed edges, said seam comprising over-' lapping, curved, generally co-extensive edges of said upper, one of said edges being formed in a line of increased curvature and said edges being overlapped an equal distance substantially throughout the length of the seam to provide a bulge adjacent the heel portion for receiving the heel portion.

3. In an infants shoe having a sole and comprising an upper having integral vamp, counters and opposite side portions with opposed forward edges extending upwardly along the instep, laces adjacent said edges and engaging therewith and forming releasable means for securing said shoe in position with respect to the foot, and an upwardly extending seam extending across the hollow formed by the under side of the instep'from a point adjacent the sole and terminating at the inner one of said opposed edges, said seam comprising overlapping, curved, generally co-extensive edges, of said upper, one of said edges being formed in a line of increased curvature and said edges being overlapped an equal distance substantially throughout the length of the seam to provide a bulge adjacent the heel portion for receiving the heel portion, said side portions having an upper edge irregular in elevation above the sole, said upper edge having its greater elevation 

